Glossary / Glossar / Glossaire

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The rising demand for education and training has led to a great expansion in the provision of education services. But this expansion raises concerns about quality. Do we understand what knowledge or skills a training programme offers? How can we judge whether a course of study is effective? Do we share a common language on these issues, and are we sure we correctly understand the terms employed? For the EU-27, with its current 501 million citizens and single labour market, such questions are hardly academic: common understanding leads to common trust.

Cedefop’s new glossary of terms on quality in education and training is meant to promote communication and understanding between countries. It is intended for all stakeholders in education and VET, researchers; experts; those involved in improving learning curricula; and education and training providers. While it does not represent an exhaustive inventory of the terminology used by specialists, the glossary – an updated and extended version of Quality in training / La qualite dans la formation published by Cedefop in 2003 –takes into account recent EU policy developments, including the creation of the European qualifications framework for lifelong learning (EQF) and the development of a European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET).